Under the Wings of a Dragon
by Eldan Aranye
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is a noble, living in modern times. As what was required by her father, Lucy had no choice but to accept another bodyguard, after the other two got kicked out. Enter Natsu Dragion, the mystery boy who suddenly appeared in her life. Though at first Lucy is wary of the new bodyguard her father introduced to her, she soon finds out that it was rather nice..being under
1. Prologue

Warning:

1) This work is set in an alternate universe

2) It is possible that the characters appearing in this story would be OOC.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail or any of its characters. They belong to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

The young man dashed through the rain, his spiky hair covered by a somewhat overly large hood. His footsteps made deep marks on the muddy soil, the hem of his cloak flapping in the wind behind him. His breathing was a bit ragged as he reached the tall wall surrounding his home. With reflexes honed by his numerous martial arts classes, he easily scaled the wall, jumping over to its other side and landing perfectly on the ground below him. The young man wasted no time; he once more dragged himself into a run, putting a considerable distance between him and the surrounding cement barricade. He had one goal in mind, and that was to escape.

For now.

For now, he would run. For now, he would leave his friends behind. For now, he would have to find a place where he could stay and hide. Until that day comes...

_Until that day..._


	2. The New Bodyguard

A/N: I do not own Fairytail or any of its characters. They are owned by Hiro Mashima.

* * *

**The New Bodyguard**

Lucy sighed for like the hundredth time that afternoon. Apparently, her classmates had decided to postpone their group project meeting at the last minute-no, scratch that-at the last second. She had told them that they should finish the said activity as soon as possible, so that they could submit the said project early. But it seemed like the others did not care for the said group work. In fact, they really did not care about school at all. It did not matter to them if they failed examinations or exercises or quizzes. No-in their little heads, they believe that money could quickly alter a failing grade to a passing one. That was how lax and carefree they were.

The blonde scoffed in her head as she walked away from their supposed meeting place, her seemingly golden hair illuminated by the last rays of the fading afternoon sun. She was raised to value money and the hard work that was the source of it. She was lucky to have been born in the Heartfilia family, yes, but her mother Layla and her father Jude had brought her up in the humblest way possible. She was taught that not everything was free, that she had to work hard for something if she wanted it. In other words, she was different from the other rich kids at school. She was training herself to be independent. To be resourceful. To be helpful. Yes, yes that was her goal.

"Hey miss!" Sounded a voice behind her, startling the blonde. She had not realized that she had wandered off her original track and had ended up in a semi-dark alleyway, far from the direction she had headed off to in the first place. Eyes widening in fear, Lucy hurriedly walked away from the voice-only to be pulled back to the voice's source.

"Who said you can leave, eh? Come on and entertain me for a little while, missy." The alcohol-smelling man smirked as he pressed Lucy closer to his body. The blonde recoiled at the contact, her face twisting into a look of pure disgust as she tried to escape the man's grip.

"Let me go!" She spat out, trying to force the man to release her. But all she heard was a chuckle.

"You probably are one o' those rich chics, eh? Well, well! Too bad nobody ain't gonna save you here!" He said as he forcefully turned Lucy around, his face looming right in front of her.

"Now...if you just behave and give me what I want…" Lucy's eyes reflected her fear as she watched the man come closer to her. She wanted to scream, but she could not. She felt her body go rigid in shock, her brain no longer working due to her fear. But just when she thought the man would start claiming her lips, she heard him groan and saw him fall down on the ground. The blonde's heart beat wildly in her chest as she stumbled back, her hands reaching out and touching the nearby building wall. As she steadied herself, she heard a voice speak.

"Oi, what the heck are you doing in a place like this?" Asked the male voice. Lucy tilted her head up a little, and found a young man-maybe just a year older than her, if not the same age as her-staring at her with a serious look on his face. He had spiky, pink hair and onyx eyes. He was covered in an overlarge cloak, with a hood draped behind him. His black orbs were scanning her figure, as if checking if she had received any injury. That intense gaze made Lucy shiver-but not in a bad way. She felt herself heat up a little upon realizing that she somewhat liked him doing that. Shaking herself mentally, Lucy stood up straight, her arms crossing right in front of her.

"T-thank you." She stammered, her brown orbs resting upon the young man's face. She noticed that he was kind of handsome-in a boyish kind of way. Once more, Lucy kicked herself mentally. No! Stop checking him out! She scolded herself.

"You better go home. Night time's not a safe time for young ladies like you." She heard the young man say before seeing him turn in his place and leave. In a few quick strides, the man had disappeared from her view, his cloak flapping behind him as he moved away. Lucy grasped her arms, her brown orbs still on the spot where the young man had disappeared from her sight. She then gave out a sigh, before walking out of the alley.

"Thank you...whoever you are." She repeated under her breath. Deep within her heart, she wondered if she would be able to come across that young man again. Probably never, she sighed as she walked home.

Probably never.

* * *

It was a Saturday morning. Lucy Heartfilia found herself in one of the drawing rooms of their house, awaiting the arrival of her new bodyguard. She had told her father that she did not need another guard (despite the fact that she almost got into trouble the day before). The first one had been a playboy. He was only interested in women older than him. Whenever she went out, she would always find out that her supposed bodyguard had disappeared from her side, chasing off other women within the area. The second one they hired was a complete pervert. He would walk in on her while she was dressing or undressing. He would graze his hand across her skin intentionally, probably trying to feel her up. The worst he ever did was when he tried to kiss her. They were in a car trip, and she had to hit him hard on the head, in order to stop him. Thanks to that, they almost got into an accident, had she not steered away into a nearby vacant lot. No, her experiences with bodyguards were enough to make her wary of the new one that her father had suggested to her. But this time, her father had assured her that at the very first sign of her being uncomfortable with her new 'sentry', he would kick him out and stop giving Lucy a watcher. Though that would mean that she would have to learn how to defend herself. Lucy agreed. It was better that than being molested by an unknown person.

And so that is why she ended up waiting in that particular room. She was supposed to meet the applicant, and check him out, so to speak. Lucy sighed. If this one turned out to be another sicko, she would definitely kick him herself. Preferably somewhere it would hurt the mo-

"Good morning. May I come in?" Asked a familiar voice through the door, after a knock issued from it. The blonde's heart leaped down to her stomach when she recognized the voice. No, it couldn't be possible..?!

"I shall take it as a yes, then." Said the young man, before he entered. As he closed the door behind him, his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the lady before him. No way..! He stared at the young lady before him, while the blonde stared wide-eyed at him as well.

"It's...you…"

Apparently, that 'probably never' turned out to be sooner than you think.


	3. Another Chance Meeting

DISCLAIMER: Fairytail and its characters do not belong to me. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.

A/N: Lucy has just found out that her new bodyguard was the young man from before! What lies in store for these two souls? In this chapter, another meeting is about to happen. Care to know whom they'll see this time around?

* * *

**Another Chance Meeting**

"It's…you…" The blonde female murmured as she gazed at the pink-haired young man before her. Gone were the hooded cloak and the muddy boots. He was now sporting a black vest over a white long-sleeved shirt, matched with a pair of black pants and leather shoes. But what was quite—odd—was the existence of a scarf around his neck, one that looked as if it were made with Dragon scales. Lucy was gazing hard and long at that unique item, wondering where it had come from, when she heard a cough coming from the young man. Her attention snapped back to the new guard's face, which was now holding a grin. Lucy's heart jumped; that boyish grin of his contrasted with the serious look he had yesterday and she had to admit that it was kind of—cute.

"I didn't anticipate that my new employer would be the girl from yesterday." He grinned at her, his body still poised near the door. Lucy smiled back at him, her chocolate brown orbs finding solace in his onyx ones. Whatever kind of depression or sadness or irritation that she had felt earlier on regarding her meeting with the new guard had flown away, upon seeing who was going to be her new watcher.

"Neither was I anticipating that my saviour would be my new body guard. I'm Lucy." She introduced herself as she scooted over to the other side of the lone couch in the room. The young man nodded, taking that gesture as an invitation to sit down.

"May I?" He asked as he approached the vacant side of the couch. The blonde nodded, her smile never leaving her lips. The young man moved his head once, before sitting down. Lucy noted how he had placed enough distance between her and him, a move that somehow made her a little disappointed.

Eh? She thought as she watched the new guard adjust himself in his place. Why the disappointment? Shouldn't I be glad that he's somehow respecting my personal space? She pondered. But her thoughts were disrupted when she the young man began to speak.

"Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Lucy. My name's Natsu. Natsu Dragion." The pink-haired young man said as he faced his employer. He moved his right hand in front of his stomach, before bowing low before the young woman.

"I shall be your new bodyguard from here on out. If ever you find my service unsatisfying, by all means, relieve me of this post and let me suffer the consequences." He murmured as he kept his head bowed low. At this Lucy shook her head so quickly that she thought she had heard a crick somewhere from her neck.

"No, no! How can I do that? I—I want to thank you for yesterday. If it weren't for you…well, who knows what might have happened to me." She said, her fingers battling each other on top of her lap. Natsu lifted his head, so that his eyes could see Lucy's expression. He then straightened himself up, his grin returning to his lips.

"Well…maybe I'm just destined to be your personal guard, then. We're fated to be together." He said quite innocently. But even though Lucy understood what he meant, she could not help but blush a little at his words.

"Y-yeah…" She stammered as she tried to bring her heart back to its normal pace.

"I—I guess you're right. Anyway!" Lucy suddenly exclaimed, standing bolt upright. Natsu was taken aback a little by the move, but he quickly recovered and just followed suit.

"I think I ought to show you where you shall be staying in this house." Lucy said as she slowly walked toward the door. As she reached out for the knob, she saw that her hand was shaking. What the heck is wrong with her?! She mentally cursed herself. There was nothing to be nervous about, right? She was just going to show him his ro—

"Anything wrong?" Natsu breathed behind her. He had thought that Lucy was having troubles with the doorknob, and so he had decided to move closer behind her. His body was only separated from her by a couple inches, a fact that did not escape the blonde. She could feel the warmth radiating from Natsu, smell the woodsy scent that floated off him. Lucy gulped, before twisting the knob in front of her.

"N-nothing! I just remembered something, that's all. Follow me." She murmured as she walked out of the room. Natsu looked at her for a moment, before shrugging.

"Very well, then." He replied, as he started to follow Lucy.

As they headed for his would-be room, Lucy showed him and described to him the different rooms that they passed by. Natsu just nodded, not really caring for any other room except for his (it was obvious why he would be interested in that one), Lucy's (after all, he needed to know where he had to run to if ever something bad happened within the house) and the kitchen ('nuff said).

His room was in the third floor of the mansion—and to his surprise, just opposite Lucy's. He could not help but frown at that, wondering why the guard's room would be placed just in front of his mistress. It was no wonder why the previous guard would be able to harass Lucy—he was just one doorway away from her!

"Isn't this…a bit odd?" Natsu asked as he scanned the room's interior from the door. Lucy was standing a little way to his left, observing his reaction to his new place. The blonde tilted her head in response, obviously confused by the question.

"What's odd? Anything wrong with your room?"

"No, it's not that. How come I'm just opposite your room?" He clarified, turning onyx orbs toward Lucy. The said blonde hummed for a bit, her eyes closed. After a while, she answered.

"I really have no clue. The previous two guards were placed near the house helps' quarters. You're the exception." She replied, her brown orbs now meeting with Natsu's onyx ones. She could see the confusion, and then understanding dawning on them in rapid succession. She saw him sigh before turning his head back to his room.

"I see…" Was his only response. He then grinned as he turned his gaze back to his mistress.

"Thanks for showing me around." He said. Lucy noted the fang that was showing through his grin. She wondered how sharp that was. Would it be able to wound her skin..?

Gahhh! She screamed in her head as she felt the heat climbing to her face. Enough with the fantasies already! She complained. Her expression must have betrayed her, for Natsu had already walked toward her in a few quick strides.

"You're red. You having a fever?" He asked, completely clueless to what Lucy was experiencing. The blonde shook her head, before stepping back a little. Natsu had come so close once more. If she did not back up, she might do something stupid.

"I'm okay, d-don't worry. I think I just need to lie down a little." She lied as she walked past the young man. Natsu followed her with his gaze, confusion once again prevalent on his face.

"Maybe you can use this time to check out your room a bit more. I'll just be in my room." Lucy suggested as she opened her own door. She saw Natsu nod once, before going to his own quarter. She sighed when she heard the tell-tale sound of a door closing behind her, informing her that her new guard was now nowhere near her. She released another sigh before entering her own room.

"What the hell is wrong with me?!" She groaned into her pillow as she jumped face down on her bed. Natsu was her new guard! Yes, he had saved her yesterday from danger…but was that enough to allow herself to fantasize about him? No…it was…weird.

"Gahhh…I hate this!" She moaned as she rolled on her bed, this way and that. She had to figure out what was wrong with her sooner or later, or else she would end up turning into a complete, bumbling mess every time they were toge—

A loud thud was heard from Lucy's room, causing Natsu to immediately stop whatever he was doing and dash toward the blonde's room. The door was not locked, to his relief. Quickly he turned the knob and pushed open the door, his whole frame going in and heading for his mistress.

"Lucy! What happened?! Are you hu-?!" He stopped midsentence when he realized that his mistress was nowhere in sight. He quickly walked over to the window and opened it. No, she could not have been taken from there. The window was closed and there were no footprints visible on the sill…

"Owieowieowie…" Natsu heard someone speak from his left. He quickly turned in his place, his onyx orbs locating the source. The owner was Lucy, who was just starting to get up from the floor. Apparently, she had rolled too much and had actually fallen off her bed. She had reached out a hand, intending to grab onto her drawer. Instead, she just managed to knock her study lamp off the table—and she just ended up on the floor.

"You okay?" Lucy heard someone ask. She then lifted her orbs, her gaze falling upon her new guard. Her mouth hung open as she took in Natsu's frame. She could not help but feel the heat rushing to her face and covering her neck as well.

"I—I…" She stuttered, unable to respond properly. How could she? Apparently, Natsu was in the middle of changing clothes or something—before he dashed to her room. His shirt was open, revealing a toned body. She had observed that he was lean and quite fit. But she never anticipated him having such a chiselled stomach. Her gaze fell upon his abs, her mind instantly flying to places she never thought of before. She was actually wondering whether that toned stomach of his would be hard to the touch…

"Oi, you okay?" Natsu asked once more as he got to his knees in front of Lucy. The blonde, startled out of her musings, rapidly nodded her head.

"Okay! I'm okay!" She answered, as she quickly moved to her feet. But that moved caused her to bump her head against Natsu, which also caused her to lose her balance a little and fall right on top of the young man. They now ended up on the floor, with Natsu supporting his weight with his elbows and with Lucy sprawled on top of him.

"M-mistress..?" He asked, his shirt now open wide, his torso revealed to its fullest. Lucy groaned as she felt the dizziness disappearing from her head. She lifted her gaze up, and saw that Natsu's lips were just inches away from her.

_I'll kick him out at the first sign of you being uncomfortable with him._

She remembered her father's words. Surely, if it were the previous two guards, she would be uncomfortable. But it was different with Natsu. She did not feel—uncomfortable. No…it felt…right and weird at the same time.

Lucy felt her heart beat louder and faster in her chest, the proximity of their bodies slowly making her forget quite a lot of decent thoughts. She felt Natsu adjust himself beneath her, probably finding a more comfortable position. She sighed, before she gently pushed herself off the young man. She hovered a little while above him, her body not yet completely separated from him.

"It's okay. It was an accident, so you don't have to worry. We won't speak about this to anyo—" Before she could finish her statement though, she heard footsteps entering her room. Eyes widening in terror, Lucy quickly turned to look who it was who barged in on their mo—she meant, trespassed her room.

"My, my…" Said a male voice, the tone dripping with mischief. Lucy's eyes groaned. Of all the people who could have seen her..!

"I didn't know my friend was the aggressive type." The other young man said, his black orbs falling on the man lying on the floor beneath the blonde. If he was surprised, he made a good job hiding it. He paused for a moment, before returning his gaze to Lucy.

"I wanted to ask you something, and just went straight here. Saw your door open. You should really learn how to lock doors before you go down on your man." He teased—earning a study lamp to his head. The spot where the lamp hit immediately bulged into a nasty bump, something Gray took a mental note of. Damn her throwing skills, he commented in his head.

"Aaarrrrggghhh! Gray, you idiot!" Was all Lucy could exclaim as she scrambled off Natsu. The pink-haired young man sighed, before standing up and dusting himself off. He then quickly buttoned up his shirt, lest another friend of Lucy's decided to show up. When that was done, he started walking toward the door.

"I'll just be in my room, mistress, if you ever need me." He stated as he walked past Gray. The ravenhead stood silently as Natsu approached his side. The moment the pink-haired young man came within his range, Gray muttered something while Lucy was busy picking up the other things that had fallen on the floor earlier.

"This is interesting…" Natsu's face donned a blank look—before switching to a smirking one. He stopped just a little bit past Gray, a distance that would allow the ravenhead to hear what he would say in response.

"Nice to see you again, too, Droopy." He stated, before continuing with his walk. Lucy's eyes had hovered to them the moment Natsu walked out of her door. She was looking at Gray in a curious manner, probably wondering what that was all about. Her friend chuckled and waved a hand as he turned in his place.

"See you on the first floor. I'll ask you there. Juvia might think that we're doing something and would probably interrogate everyone here for your whereabouts." He kidded as he started to leave. But Lucy's voice made him stop, her question causing him to pause.

"Have you met Natsu before?" To which Gray shrugged.

"Nope. Just reminded me of someone. He's a different guy."

A different guy, indeed. Gray thought as he walked out into the hallway, his black orbs landing on the door opposite Lucy's. The Natsu he knew lived in a different town, in a place not much different from his or Lucy's. So why the heck was he here, of all places, wearing a butler's suit? It was not that he despised house helps, no. It was just odd…

To see the son of the renowned Igneel Dragneel serving as Lucy Heartfilia's butler.

Yep, it was odd. Definitely odd indeed.


	4. A Tumble and a Fall

DISCLAIMER: Fairytail and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to Hiro Mashima.

A/N: In the previous chapter, Lucy had met her new bodyguard and had already shared one intimate moment with him. In this chapter, Lucy interrogates Natsu, determined to find out how serious the young man is in being her guard.

* * *

**A Tumble and a Fall**

"What are your plans for today, Mistress?" The pink-haired young man asked as he stood a little ways to Lucy's right. They were currently in the dining room, with Lucy having just finished her breakfast. Natsu had already finished his own meal way before her, so that he could immediately attend to her.

"Hmm…nothing in particular, I suppose. It is Sunday, after all." The young woman sighed as she started out cleaning her plate. Even though they had servants in the house, she made it a point to do things on her own, if it was within her capabilities. And since cleaning up plates and whatnot was not that difficult, she had told their maids that they leave that job to her.

"How about you?" She asked Natsu as she washed the items that she had used in the nearby sink. She heard the young man chuckle before answering.

"Well, nothing in particular as well, I suppose. As your guard, I am bound to follow you wherever you go, Mistress. To make sure you are safe. So if my Mistress will not go out today, then I shall remain with her inside the house as well." Natsu explained, a grin covering his lips as he watched her finish up drying the plate and cutleries that she had used earlier.

"You don't have to be so formal, Natsu." Lucy sighed as she turned in her place. Her chocolate brown orbs scanned Natsu's somewhat surprised look. She smiled at him as she moved from her place, her footsteps taking her closer to the young man. As if on cue, the moment Lucy stood in front of him, Natsu had taken a step back, creating some space between them. Lucy could not help but pout in her head. She noticed that Natsu had done it again. Yesterday, after that little incident of theirs, Natsu had made sure to avoid making any more body contact with her. Maybe he thought that I would get mad at him, she though sadly. But why the disappointment, though? Should she not be happy that he was not trying to get his hands all over her?

Maybe the problem now is…you want him to have his hands all over you, a voice chided in her mind. Lucy mentally shook her head. No, it was just desire or something speaking. I should be happy, she scolded herself. Happy that he's not attacking me in any way.

"Listen, you don't have to call me 'my Mistress'," though it does have a nice ring to it, she thought. She sighed, letting the idea get out of her already clouded mind.

"Call me Lucy. Just Lucy, okay? If you don't call me that…" Lucy tilted her head to the side. What could she threaten him with..?

"If you don't call me that…I'll go and do something stupid." She finally managed to say, unable to bring anything up that could threaten the young man. She saw Natsu frown, his onyx orbs taking in the expression that had covered her face.

"You're…actually sad that I'm calling you 'Mistress'?" He asked, analysing Lucy's expression. The blonde nodded. She watched as Natsu contemplated about the request, apparently weighing in his choices and its consequences. After a while, she saw him grin, his fang showing once more.

"Alright, then. I'll call you Lucy, if that's what's going to make you happy." Natsu finally said. The blonde's lips immediately split into a smile, her eyes shining bright with glee.

"Thank you, Natsu. You've made me happy today." She said, tilting her head to the side as she rocked on the balls of her feet. The young man grinned.

"Anything for your happiness, Lucy." He responded. Lucy could not help her heart from racing wildly in her chest. Those words of his…sent a kind of warmth through her body, making her want to embrace him and shower him with kisses. But she could not do that. She could not do that, right..?

"Hmmm…I think I need to visit the library." She said as she straightened up. She had forgotten that she had wanted to check on something that she could use on her novel. This was a great time to have a sort of distraction, now that her mind was starting to wander again to unknown places.

"I'll accompany you, then." Natsu offered. Lucy nodded before turning in her place and heading out of the dining room, with her guard following in her wake.

* * *

"Found it yet?" Lucy asked as Natsu scanned the base of the huge book shelf. They were in the mansion's library, which contained a massive book collection. Lucy had to use a movable ladder in order to reach the higher tiers of the shelf, while Natsu remained on the floor.

"Nope. Can't find the title of that book that you want here." He confirmed as he straightened himself up. He watched as Lucy scanned the books on the top shelf, his face contorting into a frown.

"You sure you're okay up there?" He asked, worried that the young woman might fall any time. He heard Lucy chuckle in response as she moved the ladder a little to her right.

"Of course I am! I've been doing this for a while now, so no need to worry. Aha!" She suddenly exclaimed. She had found the book she had been looking for. It was thick, and was hard-bound. From the looks of it, the item seemed heavy, too. With a grin on her face, she started pulling out the book from its hiding place. It was a difficult process, since it was lodged between two other equally large volumes.

"Just…a…little…bit…more..!" She panted as she struggled to remove her quarry from its place. After a couple of tugs, she managed to pull out the book—only to realize that she had leaned too far back from the ladder.

"KYAAHHHHH!" Lucy screamed as she fell from the ladder, the book flying from her hands. Natsu, who had been watching her progress with vigilant eyes, immediately dashed to the spot right beneath her, catching her in his strong arms.

"You okay?" He asked as Lucy slowly opened her eyes. He gently set her on the floor, allowing her to cling onto him for the time being. She was still shaking as she leaned against him. Natsu swallowed hard; she was too close. Too close…

"Thank you…" She breathed into his chest, her hands clutching his vest tightly. Lucy felt the fear slowly ebb away from her body as Natsu held her close. That…was scary, she thought as she tried to calm herself down. Had Natsu not been there, she might have already injured herself so much.

"No…problem." The young man replied, his voice cracking a little. That slight change in his tone made Lucy look up, her brown orbs travelling to his face.

"Sorry for…making you worry. I was careless. It won't happen again." She murmured, her body still pressed against his. Natsu looked down at her. He had noticed it yesterday. When they ended up almost cradling each other on the floor of her bedroom, he had noticed how pretty she was, something that he did not pay attention to when he first saw her. And the whole day yesterday, he had watched her interact with their house-helps. Not only was she beautiful, she was also kind. She was helpful, at the same time independent. When she could do something on her own, she would rely on her own to accomplish it. It was a rare trait in rich females—well, rare to Natsu's eyes. The number of times he had seen other women of the same status as Lucy, he would notice how they would assign even the simplest of tasks to their servants, even if they could manage it on their own. Lucy was…different. And he could not help himself but admire her because of that. Though that was not the only reason why he was starting to feel a little bit flustered right now. One has to remember that pressed against him was one…well-gifted female. And also, one has to remember…

He was a male.

No matter how much he tried to keep himself from reacting to her, he could not fight the urge to just kiss her then and there, to claim her lips for his. But he had to fight that sudden need, for he was her guard and nothing more. Besides, he felt that it was just the average lust that was driving him insane. He was in that age, after all, so it was normal for him to—crave for the woman in front of him. But he had to hold back. He must not make the same mistake her previous guard did. No, he must not make Lucy feel uncomfortable, and cause her to lose her trust in those who are given the chance to protect her. Besides, if he gets kicked out, what if his replacement would be far worse than the first two? No. He had vowed to protect Lucy at all costs. And by distancing himself from her, he would be helping her a great deal. And add to that he badly needed a place to stay…

With a gentle push, Natsu detached himself from the blonde. Lucy's eyes filled with surprise and wonder. Why did he push himself away—right when I was just starting basking in his warmth? She thought as a sad look crossed her face. She heard Natsu sigh, before speaking up.

"Next time, be careful, okay? I know you're capable of doing stuff on your own, but just be careful. I just can't have you falling and hurting yourself." He muttered, stepping back a little from the blonde. Lucy lifted her eyes to his once more, her heart thudding hard in her chest.

"…But…if you're there when I fall, you will catch me, right?" She asked. She then blushed upon realizing the multiple meanings her question could have. She turned her gaze away, not wanting Natsu to see her blushing face. She heard the young man sigh, before answering.

"Whether you tumble or you fall, I'll be there. I'll catch you, Lucy. You know I will." He stated, his voice low. Lucy could feel the sincerity ebbing from his warm and gentle voice, could feel the promise that was in his words. She smiled. Lucy tilted her head up, so that she could see his face properly.

"And if I reach out a hand, will you be there to grab hold of it?" She asked, taking a step forward as she did reach out her right hand. This time Natsu did not move. Instead, he raised his left hand, allowing his fingers to link with Lucy's.

"Of course I will. Every part of me belongs to you, Lucy. So if you need my hand, I shall willingly give it to you. If you need my life, I'll gladly give it up for you." Natsu answered, unsure now if that was just the protocol talking, or if it were actually coming from him. He watched as Lucy stepped even closer to him, her body now just inches away from his. He swallowed, his heart suddenly deciding to beat wildly in his chest.

"…Then…your heart..?" She asked. They were at that stage, that moment when Lucy would have to decide if the guard was indeed willing to protect her. She had done the same thing with the previous two guards, but her interview with them did not go this—beautifully. What she did in the past was interview them, throw out questions that had specific answers to it. She knew that when they answered, they would only say what they were instructed to say. But with Natsu, it was different. Her words were not protocol, and neither were his answers. There was meaning. There was depth. And she was being filled with a kind of warmth that she did not feel from her two other watchers. Natsu…Natsu was far better than those two, she knew it. Now all she wanted was to know how much the young man would willingly stay by her side. To stay with her…

"My…heart..?" Natsu asked tentatively. Lucy was now too close for comfort again, and he could feel the blood rushing to his face. It was even possible that his cheeks were now the same color as his hair. He watched as Lucy gazed up at him expectantly, her brown orbs shining with anticipation. He stared at her, noting how her lips remained a little bit parted after giving their question. Lips that looked quite soft and sweet…

Slowly, Natsu lowered his head. They were only joined by their hands, their free arms hanging limp by their side and yet—he could feel charges flowing through and around them, electrifying him. Warming him. Giving him that crazy idea of just following his desire—if only this once—and reciprocating the same need that he could see mirrored in Lucy's eyes.

"…My heart…" He stated once more, his lips tantalizingly close to Lucy's. The blonde's eyes slowly hid themselves beneath their lids, her whole body now shutting down to logic, allowing her emotions to flood her all over.

"…belongs to no one else but you, Lucy…" He murmured, as he started to close the distance between them…

"Lucy! We need to talk! That school project…the groupings have been jumbled again, I don't know why. We need to-!" But the female who had suddenly burst in through the library doors suddenly stopped midsentence upon realizing what she had barged into. Her hand quickly went up to her mouth as she watched the young man step away from Lucy in one quick move, leaving the blonde stunned and blushing. The pink-haired young man blinked, before turning in his place.

"You're a classmate of Lucy?" To which the blue-haired female nodded fervently. The young man nodded. He then glanced back at Lucy, who was staring wide-eyed at him. He gave her a quick grin before he spoke up once more.

"I'll just be outside." He informed her. He then strode away from the blonde, walking past the blue-haired female and going out the door. The moment the oak barrier closed, Lucy collapsed on the chair right beside her.

"L-levy…" She murmured, burying her face in her hands. What had happened back there? She felt the heat rising up her face once more.

"L-lu-chan..? Was that…your new guard..?" The blue-haired female, Levy, asked as she approached her friend. The blonde nodded in response.

"Yeah…he…he is." She said, trying to calm down her heart. She heard Levy place her bag on the nearby table, felt as she moved right in front of her.

"And were you..?" Levy asked. This time, Lucy shook her head.

"I don't know what we were doing." She said, in the most honest tone she could muster. Silence followed her response, drowning the two until Levy spoke up once more.

"Right, well. You two can continue were you left off once we're done talking. I didn't mean to ruin your lovey-dovey moment." She said, a grin covering her lips. Finally! Lucy's found her man! Levy thought happily. But Lucy just shot her a shocked expression.

"W-what do you mean?" The blonde asked. Levy just grinned some more.

"Come on, Lu-chan! It's obvious you like him. Your face spells L-O-V-E in capital letters. See?" The blue-haired young woman said as she pulled on Lucy's still red cheeks, spelling the word 'love' with them and causing the blonde to whine in response.

"…LEVY!"

* * *

Outside the room, Natsu could be found leaning against the door of the library. He was breathing way harder than usual, his chest rising up and down rapidly. He raked a hand through his pink locks, his fingers snagging themselves on his spiky hair.

"What…am I doing..?" He thought. He had to get a grip on himself, or else he might cause the blonde to get scared of him. But the look in her eyes told him that he was not alone. That he was not the only one desiring something. He sighed as he straightened himself up against the polished wood. She had asked him if he would catch her if she falls—and he had said yes. Problem now was…

What if he started falling as well? What would be there to catch them both..?


	5. The Distance Between Them

**DISCLAIMER:** Fairytail and its characters do not belong to me. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.

**A/N:** In the previous chapter, Lucy and Natsu were just about to do something…when suddenly Levy appeared, announcing a change in their project groupings. In this chapter, we'll see how Natsu and Lucy coped with that 'lovey-dovey' moment as Levy had put it, and how they managed to keep their sanity intact…for now.

* * *

**The Distance between Them**

"Is that true, Lucy?"

"I told you guys, we weren't doing anything!"

"Juvia is happy for you!"

More like happy for yourself, Lucy muttered in her head as a sweat drop appeared on her. She knew Juvia—Gray's personal maid who happened to be their classmate—was head over heels in love with the ravenhead. Though it might appear as an obsession to some, Lucy felt that the love was sincere. The moment Juvia found out that she and Gray were childhood friends, she had become a little bit—hostile toward her, even though she had denied having feelings for the aforementioned young man. But it seemed like the only thing that could ultimately convince Juvia was to show that she, Lucy, had a boyfriend. And right now, it seemed like that was what she was thinking.

At the moment, Lucy was on the rooftop of their all girls' school Fairytail-Beta Unit. They were the sister school of Fairytail-Alpha Unit, which was an all boys' one and which was located on the other side of Magnolia. She was currently with three of her friends, all of whom were interested in what she had to tell about Natsu.

"Lu-chaaaaaan, why are you denying it? I could feel the tension between you two yesterday!" Levy pointed out to the blonde, earning Lucy a curious stare from their senior and friend, redhead Erza Scarlet. The blonde sighed.

"I—I just don't want you guys to think anything funny. Nothing happened between us, okay?" Lucy insisted, her mind screaming that something should have happened, had not Levy showed up. Of course, she was not mad at Levy. But somehow, somewhere in her heart, she felt that if only the blue-haired girl appeared a little bit later—

"Lucy, your face is all red. So something did happen between you two." Erza pointed out. The blonde immediately shook her head.

"What?! No! This is because you guys are embarrassing me!" The blonde whined, pouting in response. Juvia, on the other hand, tilted her head in thought.

"Juvia knows that look," the other blue-haired young woman said.

"That is the look of someone who is thinking of their beloved, in some romantic scenario." She said. Lucy almost choked in her place.

"Juvia!" She protested, another sweat drop forming on her head. Was she that obvious?

"Anyway, what happened after that? I bet you guys continued where you left off." Levy injected quite happily. At this, Lucy's mood changed. Her comical pout faded from her face, to be replaced by a depressed expression.

"I told you, nothing happened…" She said. Lucy then sighed, before recalling what had happened three days ago, after that very intense moment between her and Natsu got disrupted…

* * *

Lucy walked about her home, searching for her pink-haired guard. Levy had just left, informing her that they were now in the same group, together with Juvia. It was already six in the evening when Levy departed, finally allowing Lucy to search for her guard who, apparently, had gone into hiding.

"Natsu…" She breathed as she approached his door. It was closed. She wondered if he was there, sitting on his bed or something. She wanted to ask him something. She wanted to confirm something from him…

"Lucy?" She heard a voice call out her name, startling her effectively. Lucy quickly turned around in her place, her brown orbs landing on the pink-haired young man. It seemed like he had just taken a bath, his towel draped across his left arm, some of his hair strands still dripping. He was wearing a white shirt over black jogging pants. On his feet he had black sandals. He had a curious expression on his face; he was probably wondering why Lucy was there, in front of his door, of all places.

"N-natsu! C-can I talk to you for a while..?" The blonde asked tentatively. She saw Natsu's face darken for a little while, before he bowed.

"Okay. Where will we talk?" He asked, even though he somehow could guess what her answer would be.

"Is it okay if…if we use your room?" Lucy suggested. Natsu sighed; he was right. He then walked toward his door, grabbed hold of its handle and turned it, pushing open the oak panel. He then stepped aside, beckoning Lucy to walk in first. The blonde obliged.

Once they were inside, Lucy sat down on his bed, expecting Natsu to do the same. But instead of sitting down beside her—or anywhere near her, to be exact—the pink-haired young man chose to use an empty chair in the room, dragging it right in front of Lucy and propping himself on it. Lucy gazed at the space between them. Somehow, her heart was screaming that he was too far away from her. As if he did not want to be anywhere near her. Lucy decided to ignore that sad feeling brought about by that realization, thinking that there probably was a logical reason behind that gesture.

"Earlier, in the library…" Lucy began, her head bowed low. She heard Natsu shift in his seat, as if he was finding a more comfortable position for himself.

"Were…were you..?" The blonde could not bring herself to say 'about to kiss me'. She did not want to assume, but that was what she felt earlier. She had felt electricity coursing through them, had felt Natsu's warm breath fanning her face. She knew…she knew that he was about to kiss her, but that did not happen. Now she just wanted to know if her…guess was right.

"Was I what?" Natsu responded. Lucy's head snapped up as she looked at her guard. He was looking somewhere to his left, his onyx orbs hidden by his hair. She pursed her lips, her mouth suddenly going dry.

"..about to kiss me." She finally muttered, her cheeks flooding with red. She saw Natsu sigh, before looking at her, his expression serious. She could see a faint dusting of pink on his own cheeks, an indication that he himself had not forgotten it yet.

"…Probably. But…" Here the young man looked away once more. Lucy could see him clenching and unclenching his fist on his lap, his body somewhat rigid from the tension that had begun flooding the space between them.

"I can't. And I mustn't." He answered truthfully, as he lifted his gaze once more. Lucy noted the hint of sadness that had flitted through his black orbs. She felt her heart fall, her body weaken. She somehow could understand why he said that, but she had to hear it from himself.

"Why..?"

"Because…because I don't want to make the same mistake as your previous guard. I don't want to put you in a situation that could probably hurt you—in any way. Or make you feel uncomfortable later on. I am your guard, and what I said earlier was true. All of it, Lucy, was true…" Natsu answered as he gazed at his Mistress. He saw sadness and disappointment cross her beautiful face, his heart immediately calling him an idiot for answering with such words. But he had to say them. As early as now.

"But I have to…I have to know my place. I have to keep my distance. I shall stay beside you, but I cannot be near you. This is for you sake, Lucy. Please…I hope you understand." He said, his voice almost pleading. He watched as Lucy's head dropped, her eyes hiding behind her blonde locks.

"But what if I told you I want you close to me? That I don't want you just standing there, from a distance?" Lucy asked, her voice almost a whisper. Natsu struggled with his words, unsure of what to answer her. He took a deep breath, slowly releasing it until he found what he thought would be the right answer.

"Then I shall stay close to you, for that is my duty. Lucy, I don't mind catching you, holding you, assisting you—heck, I don't mind doing anything for you. It's just…the thought of you…so close to me…so close…" Natsu murmured, losing his confidence as his emotions took over. He gritted his teeth as he turned his gaze away, not trusting himself at the moment. If he spoke even further, he would have to tell Lucy that his control was always near breaking point every time her body was so close to his. That if he was not in his right mind, he would have probably pinned her against the wall or on his bed, would have rained kissed on her pretty lips, on her silken skin…

Natsu gulped. He felt heat enveloping his entire body, felt his heart race in his chest. No, he had to control himself. He must not give in again, not now that they were in his room. Not now when there was no chance of anyone barging in, ruining their moment together…

"Natsu?" The young man suddenly turned his head toward the blonde, who had finally decided to speak up after what seemed to be a very long while. She was smiling, but despite that, he noticed that her smile did not reach her eyes.

"Thank you, Natsu. You're really…considerate and kind." She murmured as she slowly got to her feet.

"You're different from the other two guards that I had. That's why I know I'll always be safe with you." She then walked toward the door, her smile still in place. But then she stopped, her feet halting right beside Natsu's chair.

"I'm sorry for causing you any trouble. I shall do my best…not to burden you anymore." She said, before walking away. Natsu heard the door open and close behind him, heard her walk toward her own room. He blinked, and in a flash was on his feet. The moment he got out of his bedroom, Lucy had just closed her door.

"Lucy…" He murmured as he stood there, right in front of the wooden panel. On the other side, the blonde had leaned against the oak barrier, her tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Why did it hurt? Why did that make her so depressed? Natsu was just doing his job, and was only thinking of her own welfare. And yet his words stung her heart. Why?

"D-don't worry, Natsu! I'm…I'm okay." She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as she tried to stifle her sobs. She heard Natsu sigh. On the other side of the door, the young man had leaned forward, his forehead now touching the cold wood. He had his right arm raised, his palm touching the panel. Silence followed, neither of them moving from their spot. Lucy could still feel Natsu's presence behind her, and Natsu was sure his mistress was still there, probably crying. And even though the only barrier between them was a wooden door, neither of them could afford to break it down. For the sake of their sanity. For the sake of…

* * *

"…so he's been avoiding touching you or having any body contact whatsoever for the past days?" Erza asked, amused. Lucy nodded. Levy had her head down, her fingers twiddling on her lap.

"That's…I'm sorry, Lu-chan. If only I've arrived later." But Lucy just shook her head.

"Levy, even if…if something did happen between us before you came, I guess he'd still do the same. He…he cares for me that much." The blonde whispered, her lips breaking into a thin smile. The blue-haired young woman glanced at her, before nodding.

"Though, Lucy…I think that is a sign that you should not give up yet." Juvia suddenly said. There was a kind smile on her face now, her eyes lighting up with determination. The blonde glanced at her, her brown orbs mirroring uncertainty.

"Maybe right now, you two would have to have some distance between you. But Juvia is sure that sooner or later, this Natsu would come to Lucy, of his own accord, and give Lucy what she desires." Juvia said with conviction. The blonde remained silent for a while, before smiling a warmer, much fonder smile.

"Thank you, Juvia. I'll try not to be depressed that much, and do my best." Lucy said, her voice filled with warmth for the blue-haired young woman. Just then the bell rang, announcing the end of their break. The girls slowly packed their lunch, all of them standing up from their places.

"Well, good luck to you, Lucy. I hope you would be able to attain your happiness." Erza said as she headed for the exit. Levy gave Lucy a pat on the arm, before walking ahead of the blonde.

"Do your best, Lu-chan! I know you would be able to do it." She cheered. Juvia nodded at her, before she began walking as well.

"Lucy must do her best to get her feelings across. Or, I guess it's already reached him. Now Lucy must find a way to link her soul with his." Juvia muttered as she strode off. Lucy stared at her friends' backs, before they all disappeared from view. She then turned her gaze skyward, her brown orbs wondering.

"Link my soul to his..?" She murmured, her thoughts flying with the clouds. Would she be able to do it? She hoped so. At the very least, she just wanted to be embraced by him once more. At the very least…that was all she wanted. Nothing more…


	6. A Simple Walk, A Raging Storm

**DISCLAIMER:** Fairytail and its characters do not belong to me. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.

A/N: Lucy and Natsu had reached an unspoken agreement. How long would it take, though, for either of them to realize that holding in their desires…would only make them crave for more..?

* * *

**A Simple Walk, A Raging Storm**

The blonde sighed. It was a fine Saturday morning, her school days rushing by in a blur. For the past weeks, she had busied herself with their school project, not allowing herself to have as much rest as she would have wanted. But all of this was not without reason. She wanted to preoccupy herself, so that she would avoid making any physical contact with Natsu. Oh, she did see his guard, and they still had some time together. But that only happened when they were outside. If Lucy had to run an errand or needed or wanted to go visit someplace, Natsu would accompany her. But once they got back home, the young man would take his leave and go to some other room. They had agreed that if ever Lucy needed something, she would ring him up. Yes, they had exchanged numbers, but it was for official reasons. Neither of them texted the other with sweet nothings or with some random message. No, the mobile phone was only a means for her to summon him, wherever he was, to her side. That was all. That was the only connection she had had with him when they were in the house.

Lucy sighed once more. Maybe a walk in their orchard would do her some good. She glanced at the phone on the small table. She was thinking about calling the pink-haired guard and having him accompany her in her walk. After a couple minutes of thought, she decided she would not ring him up. She stood from the couch and headed for the door, leaving the phone on the table. She had done this before, without the aid of a guard. Surely, there was nothing wrong in doing it again.

* * *

"Hmmm…it's been a while since I last visited this place." She murmured, a small smile covering her lips as she walked on the path that crossed their orchard. Although the word 'orchard' might be an understatement, for the area seemed like a miniature forest. At the end of the path was a small lake, complete with a cabin near its bank, a cabin that anybody could use as a resting spot. When she was younger, and when her family was too lazy to go out to some beach during summer, they would just camp out there right beside the lake. Her mother would tell her about the different constellations in the sky, while her father chuckled at her curiosity. Lately, they haven't been able to visit the lake, what with their busy schedules. But even so, the cabin by the waters was still well-maintained, thus enabling anyone to use it anytime of the year.

Lucy grinned as she walked, the idea of the lake awaiting her arrival cheering her up a little. As she strode down the stone path, she noticed the big tree that she used to climb when she was younger. It had wooden planks boarded onto its bark, allowing her easier access to the higher branches. She looked at herself; she was wearing khaki short shorts, sandals, and a white tank top. Well, at least these would not be a hindrance, she grinned to herself as she approached the big tree. She stood right in front of it for a couple of seconds, before she started climbing it. She got past the first layer of branches. Then the second layer, then the third. The higher she went, the more excited she became. It had been a while since she did that. How long ago was it?

As she stood on the final, sturdy branch that she could reach, Lucy let her brown orbs take in the scenery before her. Beyond the clumps of trees was the sparkling, blue lake. Even further was the lush mountain that, according to rumors, belonged to their family as well. She grinned. She did not care whether that was true, but the scene before her was enough to make her treasure the place even more. Long after they were gone, she would make sure that these areas would remain as beautiful as they were today…

Creak.

Lucy's eyes widened. It seemed that what she had assumed as a sturdy branch was not as sturdy as she wanted it to be.

Creak. Creak. Craaaccccck.

The sound of a breaking branch echoed in the mini-forest, as the surprised yell of the blonde blended with other sounds of breaking wood.

"KYAHHHHHH!" The maiden screamed. She was lucky she was only hitting the thinner branches of the tree (a miracle in itself), but if she did not hang on to anything immediately, she would end up in a heap on the forest floor. Her heart thudding, she tried to reach out, tried to grab hold onto something—only to find thin air in her grasp as she cleared the last of the tree's branches. She closed her eyes, hoping and praying that the fall would not hurt her so bad.

Huh, this isn't bad, she thought as she finally hit something. She did not expect the ground to be so warm, nor be so well-dresse—

"EH?!" She yelped, suddenly opening her eyes in surprise. There was Natsu, grinning at her even though there was a sweat drop on his head.

"Good thing I decided to follow you, Lucy. Or else you might have ended up as fertilizer for this tree." He said as he continued to cradle her.

"Natsu! How did you…I didn't…" Lucy stammered, wondering how on earth he found out she went out. Natsu raised a brow at her.

"I saw you through the window. I was just in the adjacent room, waiting for you to call me, and then I saw you walk toward here. The moment I saw you climb up this tree, I knew something would happen. You have a habit of falling, do you know that?" He kidded. A blush then crept to his face upon realizing what he had just said. He turned his head away, hoping that Lucy would ignore his feeble joke. Fortunately for him, the blonde did just that.

"W-well, thank you, t-then. You…you can put me down now…"

"Oh, right. Sorry about that…"

A few moments passed by, with neither of them saying anything. It had been weeks since he last held her that close to him, the contact making him nervous. Lucy seemed to be feeling the same way, for her face was mask of red. Natsu gulped, before speaking up.

"W-well…I'll…I'll just leave you for now, Lucy. I won't be far behind. I don't want to ruin your walk." He said as he began moving away from the blonde. But Lucy shot out a hand and grabbed hold of his arm, causing the young man to halt in his tracks.

"P-please…walk with me." She pleaded, her hand falling from its hold on Natsu. The pink haired young man sighed, before turning in his place.

"If that is what you wish, then I shall obey." He said gently. Lucy lifted her head, a soft smile covering her lips.

"Thanks…"

The pair walked in silence, the two of them content to know that one was just an arm's length away from the other. Natsu kept his head low, his gaze on the ground. He was afraid that if he saw Lucy's expression, he might lose it and just grab hold of her. Lucy, on the other hand, was too afraid to start a conversation. She was afraid that she might say something stupid, something that might cause Natsu to leave her be. And so, in that state, the pair reached the cabin by the lake, both of them stopping in their tracks, unable to keep their amazement from rushing out. The blue lake was a marvel to behold. It was clear, revealing its sandy depths. A few branches lay in the sand below, a couple of smooth-looking stones lined up near them. Natsu and Lucy approached the water's edge, the two of them staring into the lake. About ten, eleven feet before them was the shallow part, the deepest coming around four feet or five. Beyond that, the land dipped, dropping to a depth of 15 to 20.

Natsu whistled as he scooped up some water in his hand. It was cool, and quite relaxing on that hot, Saturday morning. As he bent there, he heard a splash and the next thing he knew, his hair had gotten wet. Apparently, Lucy had scooped up some water herself and had decided to throw it at him.

"Sorry! I can't resist." She chuckled. Just then, she heard another splash, and this time, she was the one targeted.

"Sorry, I can't resist as well." Natsu grinned, as he prepared another attack on his Mistress. Of course, Lucy was not one to sit this one out.

"Oh no, you don't!" She yelled. Soon enough, the two had engaged in a furious water battle, both of them effectively drenching themselves, both of them ending up laughing and chuckling madly on the shore.

"Unfair…your hands are big!" Lucy panted as she propped herself on the sand. Natsu just grinned at her.

"Not my fault." He answered. His eyes then widened as he noticed Lucy's top. Thanks to all the water he had thrown her way, he had managed to make her shirt transparent, revealing a white brassiere under it. He froze in his place, unable to turn his gaze away.

"Lu-lucy…I…" He stammered, before he had the mind to turn his face away from Lucy. The blonde tilted her head in wonder, before she decided to look down. She blushed when she noticed that her shirt had become transparent, giving the young man a good view of her chest. Lucy quickly raised her arms, crossing them in front of her. She then stood up, her legs taking her to the cabin.

"We…we better dry ourselves, or else we'd get sick." She said as she beckoned to Natsu to follow her. Just then, they heard thunder from the distance. All the while they were splashing about, they had not noticed the dark clouds that were hovering in the distance. When they got out of the lake, the clouds had already converged near them, ready to pour more water down on them. Natsu's black orbs scanned the sky above them; the heck, was this going to be a heavy one..?

"Natsu, you better come inside…" Lucy called out, already at the cabin's doorway. Her brown orbs pleaded him to move, something he somewhat reluctantly did. If the rain poured now…

* * *

"Eh? It started raining…" Lucy commented as she looked out the window. The two of them were now covered in blankets, their clothes drying by the fireplace. Since they were soaking wet from their water fight earlier, Lucy suggested that they should remove their clothes to let them dry. Natsu had volunteered to have his eyes blindfolded, his back against Lucy, in order to give Lucy some privacy as she undressed. The blonde did the same for Natsu, even though she was—curious—to see the rest of his physique. The moment they had removed their shirts, shorts, pants and footwear, the thunder had become louder, this time accompanied by lightning brightening up the sky. Soon enough, it was raining.

"Lucy, you better stay by the fireside. It's warmer there." Natsu said as he leaned against the wall, far from Lucy. He had become stiff. Tense. He was worried. They were in a cabin near the lake, which was a bit far from the mansion. If he had been worried about being alone with the maiden in his room, which was already inside the house…one could imagine the worry he was feeling right now, when they were well outside the house, with nobody to check in on them…

"No. Unless you sit right beside me, I won't." Lucy stubbornly replied. The young man sighed. Why did she have to be concerned now, of all times?

"Lucy, you know I can't…sit beside you. Not right now." He croaked, his voice betraying him. He heard Lucy sigh, before hearing footsteps. He lifted his head, his eyes widening when he realized Lucy had just walked beside him. Still, she maintained some distance between them as she sat down on the floor.

"Then I'll sit beside you. This area isn't that cold." She murmured as she pulled her legs, positioning them close to her face. She then rested her chin on her knees, her eyes closing as she relaxed herself.

"See? It's not that bad…" She murmured. Natsu stared at her, before sighing. He mimicked her, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Yeah, I guess so…"

Silence embraced the two as they listened to the sudden storm raging outside. The rain poured in a steady rhythm, the water tapping on the glass continuously, as if asking the pair to let it in. It also drummed loudly on the rooftop, drenching the top of the cabin, its roaring accomplice, the wind, rattling the windows and door. Though the turbulence brought about by the rain was nothing—nothing—compared to the turbulent feelings now stirring within the two, as they sat there in silence. Each one thinking of how to approach the other. Each one wondering how long they would last…


	7. Trouble After the Storm

**DISCLAIMER:** Fairytail and its characters do not belong to me. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.

**A/N:** The pair got caught in a sudden downpour! Would they be able to keep themselves under control…or would they finally succumb to their desires..?

* * *

**Trouble after the Storm**

A couple minutes had passed, and yet the rain would not let up. Natsu watched it as it continued to dump water all around them, possibly making the lake rise a little. He sighed. If ever, they might have to abandon the cabin and head back to the mansion. Just in case the water reached their temporary hiding place, that is…

The young man adjusted himself, trying to find a more comfortable position to be in. A couple of minutes earlier, Lucy had remembered that there were some thick fur coats in the cabin's wardrobe cabinet. They had pulled them all out, making a makeshift bed on the floor. The cabin did have a double-deck, but it was sent for repair after months of disuse. So the only option they had left was to use the coats to give them additional warmth. But even so, Natsu had insisted that Lucy be the one who use it, and that he would remain on the wooden floor. The female had asked him to join her, but he adamantly refused. The feel of a warm bed beneath him and an almost naked woman beside him would surely—surely—drive him to the edge. Speaking of almost naked woman…

"Lucy?" He called out, as he turned his gaze to the blonde. He just wanted to check on her. When his eyes landed on her, he noticed that she was huddled right beside him, her arms tightly wrapped around her legs. The blonde cracked an eye open at him, her brown orb questioning.

"Are you cold? I can add more wood to the fire, if the heat's not enough." But before he could stand up, Lucy had already grabbed his arm.

"Wait, let me do it. It's been a while since I last did it." She said, even though in truth she just did not want Natsu to be bothered by the task. He always did things for her; this one little task would not be that difficult to do, even for her. Besides, she was the one who was more affected by the cold, between the two of them, so it was only more fitting that she would be the one stoking the fire.

The blonde slowly stood up, intending to head for the fireplace. But her foot snagged on the hem of the overlarge bed sheet that she had wrapped around her frame, causing her to trip. In one quick motion, Natsu had already moved in his place, catching Lucy in his arms. The blonde's cover slipped away from her body, as Natsu's flew open. Their bodies collided with each other, allowing them a more intimate moment than what they have had earlier. Natsu's face flushed a bright pink, as Lucy's did the same. She saw that he was only in his black boxers, an item that allowed her to see the toned legs and stomach that he had.

"I-I'm sorry." The young man stammered, mentally cursing himself for the sudden lack of vocabulary. Lucy shook her head quickly, her breathing becoming a bit ragged as she tried to gather the fallen sheet around her.

"D-don't apologize. I—"She said, as she lifted her brown orbs to meet the young man's black ones. But she found him staring in another direction. He was intentionally avoiding looking at her. She smiled gently at him. Even at this point…

Slowly, she inched closer to him, her chest pressing against his. Natsu's eyes widened as he felt Lucy's breath fanning the side of his face. He gulped, before turning his head. As he did so, his lips brushed slightly against Lucy's, causing the two of them to gasp. The blonde licked her lips, her hands trembling as she rested them on his shoulders.

"Like what you said…" she murmured, her mouth tantalizingly close to Natsu's. The young man could smell a vanilla scent radiating from her, invading his senses. He was captivated. He was her prisoner. And she was torturing him, torturing him into insanity…

"I have a habit of falling…" She whispered. But instead of kissing him, she pulled away, leaving Natsu staring wide-eyed at the wall.

"I'm sorry." Lucy muttered as she wrapped herself up once more. She was back on her makeshift bed, her arms folded right in front of her.

"I—I shouldn't have. I got carried awa—" But before she could finish, Natsu had already moved toward her, pushing her as gently as he could on the fur coats. He had reached out for her hands, forcing them to part with her chest as he pinned them on either side of her head. Lucy's eyes widened. She noticed how hard Natsu was biting his lower lip, so much so that his fang was burying itself on the soft flesh, causing a bit of blood to flow out of the small wound.

"I told you…I can't…Lucy, I…" Natsu was finding it hard to talk. Dammit! He cursed in his head. Why…why did she have to do that? His self-control was already at its limit. If Lucy had kissed him, maybe he could have had controlled himself some more. Maybe. Probably. But when she moved away from him, when she deprived him of that small kiss…his control snapped. He bit harder into his lips. Dammit, dammit, dammit..!

"Natsu…" Lucy murmured, as she watched Natsu struggle. She knew he was not intending to hurt her, but would it count as hurting her when she—when she wanted it herself? When she herself wanted to be embraced by him, to be kissed by him—to be taken by him? Would it count?

Blood dripped onto her lips as she lay there. She let out her tongue, licking of the crimson liquid from her mouth. It was metallic. It was warm. Gently, slowly, she tried prying her hands off from Natsu's grip. The young man seemed to have lost his strength for a moment, for he did not even bother stopping Lucy. The blonde then reached up, cupping Natsu's face and forcing him to look at her.

"Kiss me." She ordered, her voice low. Natsu's eyes widened at her command.

"Lucy..? I can't. I don't…" But Lucy just repeated her request.

"Kiss me. Or would you like me to find another guard to do that for me?" She threatened. It worked. She saw an almost angry look pass through his face, before he leaned down.

"…And have you violated? Have you forced to touch him, kiss him? Dammit, Lucy…" He said, his voice becoming huskier and huskier by the moment. The sudden shift in personality almost scared the blonde—but at the same time she found it endearing to know Natsu could make her feel like he owned her.

"Didn't I tell you I'm yours, all yours? Order me about, command me to do anything. But I won't allow you to have someone else to order about. Cause right now…" He said as his lips hovered mere centimetres above Lucy's. The blonde's eyes were now half-hidden by her lids, her lips parted a little, awaiting Natsu to capture them.

"…I'll be making you mine. All mine. Mistress…Lucy…" He said as he brushed his mouth against Lucy's, causing the female to moan a little. He smirked.

"You're mine." And he pressed his lips against her, letting weeks of built-up frustration flow out of him, letting Lucy know how much he had wanted to kiss her all this time. Lucy moaned beneath him, her hands going around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her fingers tangled themselves in his spiky pink locks, revelling in their softness despite their appearance. She was purring, opening her mouth a little more as Natsu deepened the kiss. He let his tongue enter the moist cavern, allowed it to explore the wet interior. Lucy's tongue met his, battling him, teasing him. In the end, she succumbed to him, letting him suck on the pink muscle. They remained in lip-lock for a couple of minutes more, before they finally parted. Both were flushed. Both were breathing heavily. Natsu stared at the female beneath him. She was looking at him with a dazed expression on her face. Her hands had fallen from his neck, and were now resting on either side of her head. Her chest was rising in a steady rhythm, her bosom capturing his attention.

"Lucy…" He murmured as he lowered himself once more, this time paying attention to her chest. The blonde mewled, her hands once more reaching for his head. She arched her back in pleasure as the young man continued kissing her.

"Natsu, I…Please…" She begged, pulling Natsu closer to her bosom. The young man lifted his head, moving his face closer to Lucy's. His lips brushed her jawline, his breath tickling her now sensitive skin.

"Please what? Command me, Lucy…" He murmured, his hands now going beneath the female's body, his fingers fumbling with the lock of her undergarment. Lucy murmured her wish, her voice cracking as she felt Natsu's hands snake around her. The young man smirked, before kissing her lips.

"Very well. Your wish…" He whispered as he slowly, gently, removed Lucy's undergarment, allowing her bosom to tumble into view.

"…is my command…"

* * *

"Lucy.."

The female groaned as she heard someone calling her name. Why did the bed feel so…sandy?

"Lucy..!"

She heard the male voice again. Wait, was it Natsu? Couldn't he see she was still sleeping? And seriously, why did the bed feel so hard..?

"LUCY!"

This time, she felt a hand grab her shoulder, shaking her a little. She cracked an eye open, expecting a naked Natsu hovering above her. But instead, she saw a fully-dressed one, with a worried expression covering his face.

"Didn't know you were a heavy sleeper." Natsu kidded as the female slowly sat up. He watched as she turned her head this way and that, a surprised and somewhat disbelieving look dominating her own face.

"Was…was I sleeping?" She asked, dumbfounded. The young man nodded.

"Yeah, you were. Been out for like two hours. Your clothes even dried up while you slept. You told me we can use your cabin, but right after you said that, you fell asleep. I decided to take a short nap as well. I only woke up thirty minutes ago, I suppose. You were still asleep when I came to; I didn't want to wake you up since you were sleeping peacefully. I guess you really got tired after our little water fight." He reported. But the more he talked, the more Lucy noticed a blush creeping up his face. Her heart almost leaped out of her ribcage as she asked her dreaded question.

"Did…did I talk in my sleep? Did I say anything?" She inquired, unable to prevent the warmth spreading through her face. At this, Natsu's eyes widened, before he gulped and turned away.

"…Would you like me to tell the truth? Or would you like me to lie?" He asked. Lucy stared at him. She then took a deep breath, before continuing.

"The truth..?" She answered a bit hesitantly. Natsu swallowed hard.

"You were moaning a lot, murmuring a lot. I didn't hear all of them. Well, I tried hard to not make sense of them. But…I did…hear you say one thing clearly." At this, the blonde's breathing seemingly stopped.

"And…and what did I say..?"

"…"

"…I promise, I won't get mad. What did I say?"

"You…ordered me…to make love to you." Natsu finally responded. Lucy's face turned a brighter shade of red—a shade similar to what could be found on Natsu's.

"…"

"…"

BAM! Next thing Natsu knew, a fist had collided against his jaw. He tumbled backward, his jaw now stinging. He could not help but glare at Lucy as he touched his face. The heck..?! Didn't she just say she won't get mad at me, he complained in his head as he massaged the sore spot on his face.

"What was that for?!"

"FOR ME BEING STUPID!"

"…"

"DON'T ASK!"

"But…"

"KYAHHHH!" Lucy yelled as she got to her feet, running toward the path and back to her house. Natsu, on the other hand, remained glued on the ground, his black orbs on his retreating Mistress.

"You're weird…" He murmured. But even so, there was a grin on his lips (despite his now starting-to-swell-jaw). Looked like he was not the only one having…quite intimate and provocative dreams.

* * *

"So, what did you find so far?" The ravenhead asked his adoptive sister, who was busy working in front of the computer.

"Nothing. Wait…" The black-haired female suddenly quickened her scrolling, her eyes going left to right in a blur.

"Listen to this:

"Igneel Dragneel, founder and CEO of Dragon Blaze, a world-renowned company dealing with fireworks and firework displays, has gone on vacation with his family. Mr Dragneel has requested that nobody from work or from his personal contacts reach him for the time being, as he wants to spend some time with his relatives. His return is still unknown.."

"Is there any follow up report, Ultear?" Gray asked as he stopped pacing in the room. The female shook her head.

"No, there isn't. I guess there's no point in having to update the people with some CEO's vacation. The interest wears off after some time, after all. Probably they'll make another article about him, once he gets back." Ultear said. Gray frowned.

"It's weird. All of a sudden, Mr Dragneel goes off on some vacation, with no certainty of when he would return? It's really weird. Besides…" Gray then approached his sister, his black orbs scanning the news article.

"If it's mentioned here that he's with family…why the heck is Squinty over at Lucy's?"


	8. Accidental Bath Together

**DISCLAIMER:** Fairytail and its characters do not belong to me. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.

**A/N:** Lucy and Natsu both had a dream of them being intimate with each other. Is their control near breaking point? And what does Gray plan to do with the information that he had just dug up?

* * *

**Accidental Bath Together**

Lucy groaned into her bed. It had been three days—three whole days—after that lakeside incident of hers and Natsu's and still…

The blonde buried herself deeper into her pillows. She had tried her best to act as normal as she could around Natsu during the past three days, but every time she saw him, she could not help but remember the dream that she had. What was more embarrassing to know was that the pink-haired young man actually heard what she had commanded him in her sleep. She groaned once more. Every time she faced Natsu, her face would go bright red as her memories jogged back into her head. Her father had even noticed how she would look down, or how she would keep her distance from Natsu, which prompted the older man to ask if anything was wrong. Lucy had told Jude that there was nothing wrong, that that was the set up that they had agreed upon weeks back.

As Lucy rolled onto her back, she could not help but recall how Natsu had reacted after that incident. He would keep his distance from her, this time fully avoiding any sort of body contact with her. What was interesting was the fact that when they faced each other, she could see a faint blush covering his cheeks, telling her that she was not the only one who remembered. That she was not only one who could not forget.

The blonde sighed. This was more difficult than she thought. She could feel the tension between them, could feel how both of them were holding back. They could not afford to break down the barrier between them though—or so that was what Natsu thought. For her, it was okay. Really, it was okay. After all, what was wrong with being in love with your bodyguard..?

Lucy suddenly sat up on her bed, her eyes wide with surprise. Where did that come from? Did she just admit to herself that she had fallen in love with the young man? But he had only been there for a couple of weeks..! It was not supposed to be like that—right?

She sighed. Don't tell me, she thought sadly in her head. That I've fallen in love with him the moment I first saw him? A million thoughts buzzed through her mind as she contemplated on her answer. Was that possible? Maybe it was. After all, she did…feel her heart flutter when she saw him once more…

After a couple minutes, she decided that a nice, long bath would be good for her. Sighing, she stood up from her bed and headed for the bathroom located at the end of her hall. Yes, maybe a nice long bath would help…

* * *

"This is nice…" Lucy happily moaned as the warm water embraced her body. The bathroom at the end of their hallway was almost as big as her room, offering a bath tub that could rival any onsen's. The floor was made of marble, polished and dark. One had the option of using the fluorescent light, or a couple of scented candles lined up against the wall. Lucy had decided to use those candles, in order to make the room more relaxing.

The blonde lowered herself more into the water, succumbing to the warm blanket that was enveloping her. She was on the other side of the mini-pool, near the wall where three of the seven scented candles were lined up. She sighed in contentment. Yes, this definitely was helpi—

Creak.

Lucy's eyes snapped wide open as she heard the wooden door leading to the bathroom open and close. She heard the telltale sound of the click before the lock, her brown orbs wandering over toward the direction of the opaque glass sliding door that was separating her from the one who entered the room. She could not see the silhouette properly, disabling her from recognizing the person. She shrugged before closing her eyes. Maybe it was one of their female house-helps. It was not unusual for her to share a bath with one of their female servants in that room. They sometimes walked in on her when she was there, and she never bothered to make them leave. Maybe this was one of those times.

Lucy heard the glass door slide open and close, the person behind the action stepping into the bathroom. Her eyes snapped open once more when she heard the person speak.

"Eh? Who left all these candles on?" She heard a male voice echo in the room, causing herself to lower her body even more in the water.

"Natsu! Don't turn on the light!" She yelled, her brown orbs on the young man. The startled pink-haired guard cast a surprised look toward her, before turning around.

"L-lucy! I—I didn't know you were here, I swear!" The young man frantically said as he kept his back to her. She saw that he was wearing only a small towel, one that was wrapped around his waist. She gulped. Why were their encounters becoming more and more intimate?!

"N-no worries. I'm not mad at you…" She said as she felt a blush covering her cheeks. She then saw Natsu shift in his position, his hand going to his front. Probably holding on to the knot holding his towel, she thought.

"S-sorry. I better lea—"

"Wait!"

Lucy stared at Natsu's back, her eyes widening in surprise. Why the heck did she say wait?!

"…is there anything you'd like me to get you..?" The young man asked tentatively. Surely, she wasn't thinking of..?

"Y-you can stay here. I'll just blow out the candles on my side of the room." She said. She then slowly got up, the water swirling all around her as she left the tub.

"Don't look!" She commanded. Natsu gave a nod as he stood there, his eyes facing the glass door. Lucy smiled. She really could trust Natsu not to peek on her. Slowly, she began blowing out the candles on her side of the room. She then glanced at the other four near Natsu. Maybe she could blow out two of those as well, just for safe measure. And so she slowly approached Natsu, her eyes on the scented candles.

Natsu gulped. He heard Lucy leave the tub, heard her faint footsteps on the marble floor. She was there, right behind him, without a single thing on. And he was just wearing a towel! He had to keep his thoughts in check, or else Lucy might notice something that could freak her out. He took in deep breaths, trying hard not to imagine a naked Lucy walking behind him. But seriously, why didn't he just leave? Lucy was not stopping him in any way whatsoever, so why was he just standing the-?

"Kyahhh!"

"LUCY! Are you oka-!" Natsu quickly turned around, his black orbs searching for his mistress. He was surprised not to see her standing there. He blinked. Without thinking, he looked down—and saw Lucy sitting on the floor. It was a good thing that her legs were closed in front of her, preventing the young man from viewing her most private area. But her chest was laid out in plain sight, with only a couple of her blonde strands covering them.

"Owie…" Lucy whimpered as she winced in pain. As she sat on the cold floor, she felt someone's gaze fall on her. She opened her eyes slowly, her head tilting up. There was Natsu standing right in front of her—and he was looking at her. She stared wide-eyed up at him, before her brown orbs suddenly decided going lower. Wait, there was something off—

The pink-haired young man stared at her, his head exploding with various expletives directed at himself. Dammit! I should look away! He cursed. But as he stood there, he saw Lucy's eyes travel downward. Wondering what made her do that, Natsu followed suit, his black orbs also moving down on himself. Wait…

"EH?!" He exclaimed as he quickly turned around in his place. He sat on the floor in one fluid motion, his legs crossed in front of him. He then placed his hands in the space created between his legs and crotch. DAMMIT!

"S-sorry! I'm really sorry!" Natsu stuttered and stammered over and over again. Lucy blinked. Blood was flowing down her nose as she spoke.

"I-it's…I'm not mad. Just…surprised…wait, don't take that negatively!" She chirped as she saw Natsu's shoulder slump forward in a sort of depressed manner. Seriously! Why was that an issue with men..?!

"You're not…I mean…I haven't seen any other…I mean, it's not…GAAHHHH!" Lucy said as she finally turned around in her place, her hands going right up her chest. There was a blush on her face as continued speaking.

"We're kinda even, you know…" She muttered, her brown orbs looking someplace else. If you could call it even, she thought. At least Natsu had only seen her chest. She, on the other hand, had seen…everything.

"Y-yeah…I suppose so…" Natsu murmured in response. He then sighed. He groped for his towel behind him, pulling it closer to him as he slowly stood up.

"I should go. Really…" He said as he wrapped the towel around himself. He heard a surprised 'Eh' from Lucy as he stood there, wondering why she was so shocked by his words.

"But…your bath! Promise I won't peek at you anymore!" Lucy exclaimed as she stood up as well. Her hands were still on her chest, her mind racing. Why the heck am I this persistent?! She screamed in her head. She knew she should just let Natsu leave, but her mouth was saying otherwise. She then heard Natsu sigh.

"Lucy…I'll be honest with you." He began as he turned in his place. He saw that she was standing as well, her back against him. Unintentionally, his black orbs travelled down her back, his eyes landing on the smooth, round behind that she had…

Natsu shook his head, ridding himself of such lustful thoughts. This was getting worse and worse by the second. He had to make Lucy know. He had to make her understand.

"I can't stay here. Not in this state." He murmured as he approached her. As he stood there, he battled with himself, wondering if what he would be doing would be appropriate. The heck with it, he growled in his head. She's already seen my whole body, so what's the point of denying things? Slowly, he raised his hands, placing them on Lucy's exposed shoulders. He felt her tense up, then relax in his touch. This woman..! He moaned internally. She was really…that trusting. She really trusted him. Gritting his teeth, he pulled her closer to him, allowing his body to meld with her for the time being.

"I…I can't risk it. You feel that?" He whispered, his cheeks slowly changing to red from light pink. He felt Lucy stiffen in her position, felt her arms fold tighter in front of her. He also felt her legs move in tighter, as if she was squeezing something in between her thighs.

"The longer I stay here, the longer I'm being drained of my sanity, of my control. Lucy, the only thing separating me from you is this towel. But your trust is more important to me than…than my desires. I can't risk ruining your trust. Please…let me leave, so that I can hold on to my sanity." He said, half-explaining, half-begging. He felt Lucy take in a deep breath, before sighing.

"I…I know. I know that you have to leave. I…got…I can't explain it. My head says I should let you leave, but my heart is making me say other things. S-sorry." She murmured, as she bit her lower lip. It was Natsu's turn to sigh after hearing that.

"…If it's any comfort for you…my heart's also telling me to stay. But my head is ordering me to go. For your sake, Lucy." He whispered into her ear. The blonde continued biting her lower lip, before she slowly reached up to Natsu's hands, placing her slender fingers on his.

"Just…wait a sec…" She murmured as she gently pulled Natsu's hands off her shoulders. Slowly, she guided him, letting his warm palms slide down her arms. Natsu's body had become rigid, paralyzed by the sudden gesture. What was she planning to do..? He found his answer a couple seconds later, when Lucy had deliberately placed his large hands on her bosom. His eyes widened in surprise, his voice catching in his throat.

"L-lucy..?" He croaked as his hands trembled slightly. He felt Lucy's hands linger on top of his, preventing him from pulling them away.

"You feel that..?" It was the blonde's turn to ask. The pink-haired young man did not respond.

"Now…we're even…" Lucy breathed out, her eyes closing as the warmth of Natsu's hands penetrated her. She then felt him lower his head, his breath tickling the skin on her neck as he slowly, slowly let his lips graze the base of her neck. She then felt him open his mouth, felt him bite into her skin. She moaned as she felt his fang bury itself deep, drawing out blood. He then sucked lightly on the spot for a couple of seconds, before he released her from his bite. He then slowly let his lips travel to Lucy's ears, letting his tongue play with the sensitive bit of flesh.

"Lucy…" He groaned into her ear. The blonde bit her lower lip once more as the young man continued.

"Please…order me…to leave…" He asked, his voice husky, his hands squeezing her twins. The blonde gasped in pleasure, her hands tightening their hold on his.

"I beg you…" Natsu pleaded once more as he pressed her body closer to his, letting her know the effect of the non-existent space between them on his being. He moved his hands, making his arms wrap themselves around Lucy's frame. With his free hand, he angled the blonde's face slightly toward him, allowing him to trace her jawline with his hot lips. If Lucy didn't speak up anytime soon, if she continued allowing him to do that…

"Please…" Lucy finally managed to whimper. Her breathing had become ragged, her heart thudding wildly in her chest.

Stay…that was what she wanted to say, but she knew she should not ask him that. She could feel his struggle, could feel how hard he was trying to not take advantage of her. And she should do the same. She should not make him suffer—even though she was suffering herself.

"L-leave…" She gasped, her voice cracking as she felt Natsu's hot breath tickle her jaw. She felt him move his head once in acknowledgement. She then released his hands, allowing him to pull them away from her heaving chest.

"Thank…you…" Natsu murmured as he stepped back. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling in a pained manner. He gazed at her a little bit more, before he turned in his place and walked over to the door. He gently slid it open, allowing himself to leave the blonde standing there, drowning in her own thoughts.

* * *

"What are you planning on doing?" Ultear asked as she watched Gray re-read the first article on Igneel Dragneel they had foundfor—like the tenth time that night. Even though it had been days, Gray could still not wrap his head around an answer, a reason why Natsu was currently at Lucy's even though it was implied in all the news articles he has read that he was not supposed to be in his female best friend's home.

"I'm planning on going over to Lucy's tomorrow afternoon. I need to ask to that blockhead." He answered. He then tossed a news print-out, one showing the younger Dragneel in one of the articles. There were no pictures of Natsu, though his name did appear once or twice in the said news.

"Says there the young Natsu Dragneel has decided to leave school for a couple of months, in order to spend time with his family. I was wondering why he wasn't attending classes." Gray asked as he turned the chair around in order to look at his sister, who had just finished reading the print-out.

"He lives on the other side of this town, and his face isn't publicized as much as his father's, so nobody recognized him here. What I'm wondering about is why he's here, when it says that they went on vacation." He said as he stood up.

"So you're saying something's wrong?" Ultear asked as she watched Gray leave the computer, his feet taking him out of the study room.

"I'm saying something's up with Squinty, and he's not saying. The idiot." He said as he walked out of the room.

"If he's in some sort of trouble, I'm gonna force it out of him and punch him. Then I'll help him." He grumbled as he disappeared from view. Ultear smiled. Those two…they never changed, she thought as she shut down the computer.


	9. Confrontation

**DISCLAIMER:** Fairytail and its characters do not belong to me. They all belong to Hiro Mashima.

**A/N:** Last time, we saw Natsu and Lucy almost sharing a bath together. Desires start to build up into a crescendo as Gray finally makes his move.

* * *

**Confrontation**

The blonde stared at her feet, dazed. It was lunchtime, and she was on the rooftop with Erza, Levy and Juvia. The other three girls were talking about something—probably Erza asking some advice on how to approach that Fairytail: Alpha Unit student, Jellal, again—while she was busy drifting off to that scene the previous day.

I beg you…

Natsu's voice echoed in her head, making her blush. There was something in the way he had asked her, pleaded her, to release him. His voice was husky, cracking at some point. She found it sexy, found it alluring. She bit her lower lip. What if she told him to stay? What would he have done? Would he have let his hands travel further down her body, and take her to places she had never been to befo-?

"Lucy? You okay in there?" Levy suddenly asked the blonde. Said female blinked furiously, realizing that she had been daydreaming again. Erza was looking at her in a curious manner.

"What are you thinking about?" She inquired. Lucy shook her head.

"N-nothing." She answered. She mentally scolded herself for stuttering. Juvia was also gazing at her in a curious way.

"Juvia can sense that Lucy has been thinking of romantic thoughts. Her face is all red." The female pointed out. Lucy almost glared at her. Why did she have to point out the obvious?!

"Again, what were you thinking about?" Erza asked one more time. The blonde gulped. The redhead only used that tone when she was about to scold the delinquent females of the school, an effective voice that scared majority of the students of Fairytail: Beta Unit. Right now, it sounded like 'Better answer or I'll torture it out of you'.

"It's just…lately…my…encounters with Natsu have become…more wild…" She answered truthfully, finally giving in. She then recounted the moments that she had shared with Natsu, from the fall in the library…up to the bathroom scene the day before. All the while she was talking, she could see the other females' faces coloring up, from a light shade of pink, to a dark crimson one.

"I…I see." Erza finally stammered when Lucy had finished sharing her experiences. Levy was silent, while Juvia seemed to be taking mental notes.

"…Lucy…it…it really is pretty obvious you guys like each other…" Levy chimed in. Her face was still beet red, though there was a sweat drop on her head. Juvia nodded in agreement.

"Juvia agrees. You two are both holding back. Why though?" She asked. Lucy sighed.

"Because…I guess it's because of the sort of relationship we have. He sees me as his mistress; he doesn't want to…take advantage of me or something. He respects me so much that he's willing to hold back everything just for my sake." She answered. As she responded to the question, she could not help a warm smile creep up to her lips.

"This young man really is something. It's rare to find someone like him." Erza nodded. She then gave Lucy a mighty pat on the back, causing the blonde to hit the floor with a thud.

"You better start finding ways of making him change his mind. It's possible that one day, you'll find that he's nowhere in sight. That he's probably gone off somewhere or has resigned. I am certain that that would hurt you so much." The redhead suggested. Lucy groaned as she sat back up. She could see the crack on the floor where her face had landed. That woman..! She cried in her head.

"Juvia believes Lucy can do it. After all…" Juvia smiled at the blonde, who had turned teary eyes toward her.

"She seemed to have finally linked her soul with Natsu." The blonde blinked in confusion.

"How…can you say..?"

"Well…you did allow him to feel you, and you felt him, yes? Juvia guesses that that would be enough to link you both. Unless…well, unless Natsu connected with you in some other wa-" Juvia's eyes widened in sudden realization. Lucy stared at her, somehow reading her thoughts.

"JUVIA!"

* * *

"Oi…"

"What is it, Squinty?"

"WHY THE HECK ARE WE IN A PUBLIC BATH HOUSE…TOGETHER?!" The pink-haired young man growled as he kept his body facing toward the only entrance to the private 'room' of the bath house. Gray was sitting on a spot somewhere to his right, a generous distance separating him from the ravenhead. Said black-haired young man was also facing the entrance—and only exit—of the room.

"And to think that I've just did the same with Lucy…" Natsu mumbled, a blush covering his face. Gray could not help but turn his black orbs toward his friend.

"Say what?"

"NOTHING, YOU NOSY BASTARD! Anyway…" At this, Natsu's tone became serious.

"Why the hell did you call me all the way here?" Gray turned his head toward the door once more, his eyes closing as he thought about his answer.

"I wanted to talk to you, but I can't do it at Lucy's place. She might arrive early and she might see us. I've already told her that I didn't know you, so to save your ass from being questioned too much, I decided to meet you here. Also, Juvia thinks I went to school today. If she comes home with Lucy, we're both dead. Anyway…

"I found this curious article about Igneel Dragneel going on an indefinite leave, in order to spend time with his family on some vacation. Even the son went on an indefinite leave from his school, so that he could join his father." Gray paused, before continuing.

"What's curious is that even though the articles said that the family went on vacation, I found the son serving as somebody's bodyguard on the other side of town. He's not known there, so nobody recognized him. Save his classmate. So tell me, Natsu Dragneel, what the heck is happening here?" Gray drawled, cracking an eye open to see Natsu's reaction. The pink-haired young man had a serious look on his face, telling Gray that the other male was thinking of how to answer his question. Slowly, Natsu began to speak.

"Huh, never took you for a detective, Droopy eyes. But yeah, something is happening." The pink-haired young man growled. He then let his onyx orbs scan the room before speaking up once more.

"You sure this place is sound-proof?" Natsu asked. The ravenhead nodded.

"Yeah, so if I decide to kill you or rape you here, nobody would hear you."

"…"

"Of course I was kidding."

"…Can you drop dead right now? Or would you like me to assist you?"

"I said I was kidding. Anyway, hurry up and spill it out. It's annoying seeing you act all proper and shit over at Lucy's. The role doesn't fit you at all." Gray egged his friend, watching him with dark eyes.

"…Go die, you freaking bastard. Fine, I'll tell you.

"You know Dad runs a big-time fireworks company, right? Recently, he's been receiving some calls from someone under the weapons maker and dealer, Grimoire. They want Dad to help them in creating artillery and whatnot, since he was Magnolia's number one expert in fire power. And add to that, my father used to work for a weapons company way back, making him a bomb expert, too. Dad refused, telling them to bug another company. But Grimoire won't stop pestering him with requests and offers.

"And so he sent me to Grimoire to tell them of his decision. While I was waiting in the president's office, I saw a folder marked Project E.N.D. I know shouldn't have opened it, but it kinda made me curious. I checked it out; what I found shocked me." Here Natsu paused for breath. Gray was now staring at him, wondering what on earth his friend had found.

"And what you found was?" The ravenhead asked once Natsu had rested well enough.

"It was a project aimed to exterminate the entire population of Magnolia, to destroy the whole town in order to rid it of its people." Natsu growled.

"Exterminate and destroy. They code-named it E.N.D." Gray's eyes widened at the news.

"What the hell? Why are they planning on doing that? How are they gonna do that?"

"Why? Because according to one report I've found on the folder, they've found out that Magnolia sits atop a rich oil field. They need to rid Magnolia of its people, in order to tap into that reserve. You know how oil is treasured in this age." Natsu said as he shook his head.

"Whoever has the most oil or fuel, seems to control the market and the economy. Of course, those who have most tend to be the richest. How they plan to do that? Simple.

"They plan on blowing up our manufacturing facilities, and all of our dealers in Magnolia. We have around ten, fifteen stores scattered throughout the town; if they blew up in one go, that would totally turn this place upside down. Add to that the major explosion that would be coming from our factory.

"They'll leak out that some terrorist group is planning on attacking or kidnapping Igneel Dragneel. They'll pin the blame on someone else, make it look like an orchestrated attack was made on our company. And while the whole town is in chaos, they'll make sure to make things worse, make it possible for people to evacuate Magnolia and buy off the entire land when everyone has left. I dunno how they plan to pull that off, but they're thinking about it." Natsu once again stopped. He gritted his teeth as he recalled what happened next.

"They caught me, brought me back to the house. They held me and my father as hostages there for a couple days. I only managed to escape thanks to one of our servants. I fled here, knowing that nobody would recognize me. I know Jude and he knows me. He knows my situation, and he's allowed me to stand in as Lucy's bodyguard. We can't ask for help…" The pink-haired young man smiled bitterly when Gray was about to open his mouth to ask something.

"Not right now, that is. We don't have proof, since I didn't manage to get the file folder. If we speak now, we'd only end up in trouble." Natsu sighed. Gray then lowered his head, his eyes directed at the water before him.

"So what are you planning now?"

"I'm going to go back to the house. I need to free my father, and at the same time make that bastard president of Grimoire admit to his plot. During those days that I was there, I always saw him, the president, at the house. It's as if he's always visiting Dad, continuously pestering him to give in to their demands. If my hunch is right, I'll definitely find him there, no matter when I decide to return."

"I see." Gray nodded, before standing up. He then grabbed a towel, wrapping himself in it.

"Well, then! It was nice talking to you." The ravenhead said as he stepped out of the tub. Natsu stared at him.

"Aren't you going to scold me or something? You always do that when I'm about to do something stupid."

"Yeah, I know. I might punch you later for thinking up something idiotic. But heck…this is a different case." Gray muttered as he folded his arms in front of him. He had his back on Natsu, his black orbs focused on the entrance to the room.

"So tell me when you're planning to return. I doubt you'd be able to do this on your own." Gray said, turning a smirking face toward his friend. Natsu grinned.

"You doubt me, Droopy. But thanks. I'll try to keep that in mind." The pink-haired young man smirked back. His expression then turned serious.

"Oh, and one more thing…" Natsu said as he grabbed a towel, wrapping it around him as he stood up.

"Not a word to Lucy. Not yet."


	10. A Surprising Reaction

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Fairytail or any of its characters. They belong to Hiro Mashima.

**A/N:** Gray has just found out the reason why Natsu is at Lucy's, and has just indirectly given Natsu a helping hand, while Lucy was being interrogated by her female classmates about her relationship with Natsu. In this chapter, we would see how a simple text could provoke such…an intense emotion. And probably create another intense and intimate moment between the Princess and her Dragon.

* * *

**A Surprising Reaction**

The blonde sighed as she stared out the window of her room. It was a Friday night, and she was busying herself with writing her novel. Well, she was trying to busy herself, that is. No matter how hard she concentrated on what she was doing, her mind always drifted back to that moment in the bathroom, to that scene where she could feel Natsu, could feel all of him, pressed against her. She could remember how his big hands fondled her, how his lips had scorched her skin and how his fang had marked her—a mark that would always be embedded on her skin. She reached up a hand, her fingers running along her jawline. Yes, she could remember everything. And she was still wondering what could have happened had she not told him to leave…

"No, no, no!" She yelled as she shook her head. She then slumped on the table, her head resting on her arms.

"I really should stop imagining things." She sighed. She glanced at her phone, which was silently resting near her blonde head. After that incident, Natsu had developed a habit of knocking at the bathroom door first, before entering. He did that just in case he saw the door closed, uncertain if somebody was already there. Lucy, on the other hand, had learned to remember locking the bathroom door, so that any other similar incident could be avoided. The downside of the whole thing (for Lucy, that is) was that Natsu was taking more care than ever to avoid making any sort of body contact with Lucy. If before, whenever they were outside, Natsu never wore gloves, now he did. He also made sure that he was fully clothed every time Lucy summoned him for something important. It was like the less he could feel Lucy, the more he could better control his body.

Lucy sighed. Well, she did have her wish granted, right? She had a guard who was willing to cast aside personal desires, out of pure respect and consideration. He was kind, helpful, and strong. He was sometimes a bit goofy (as what Lucy had seen a couple of times the past few weeks), but when things required one to be serious, he would definitely go into serious mode. And it was…kind of appealing. Yeah, Natsu was, for lack of better term, the perfect guy for her. The problem was…

"Ehhhhh…you're so…you're so…gahhhh!" Lucy groaned, unable to find the correct word for him. Much like a gentleman? Shy? Reserved? Oh, he was not reserved, Lucy thought as a blush crept to her face. After all, if her were like that, he would not have had the courage to pull her close to his body, to make her feel his hard-toned, well-sculpted chest, stomach and arms. To make her feel that part of him that was a tell-tale sign he was affected by her so much. That part of his she had wished had taken her then and there…

"Kyahhhhh!" Lucy almost tumbled out of her chair as her mobile phone sounded, announcing the arrival of a text message. She quickly grabbed the device, her fingers immediately setting the screen to her inbox. It was a text from Natsu.

'Oi, your door is open. I can hear you.'

Lucy raised a brow as she glanced toward her door. Yes, it was not locked and was slightly open. Was he standing just outside of her room? She shrugged. She was not going to go outside and cause him any trouble. She then quickly typed in her response.

'Hear me? What do you mean? I wasn't talking that loud, was I?'

Natsu smirked upon receiving the text. He had just arrived from some errand and was just about to enter his room when he heard Lucy exclaim something. He noticed that the door was open a little, and so he decided to stay there, out of curiosity. He was leaning against the wall, hidden from Lucy's view. The longer he stood there, the more he realized Lucy was probably thinking of…something naughty. Why?

'No, you weren't talking. You were moaning. Mewling. Are you thinking of someone right now?'

Lucy's face turned bright red upon reading Natsu's response. No way! She yelped in her head. I—I was moaning while daydreaming?! She bit her lower lip as she quickly typed in her reply. She somehow had the feeling that he was teasing her. The nerve of him! Could he not see that she was doing him a favour by not going out? She was wearing quite a revealing tank top and very short shorts, thanks to the hot weather. By staying in her room, she thought she would be able to avoid any more close encounters with Natsu—and thus prevent them from...well, having more distance between them.

'None of your business who I'm thinking about right now. :p'

Natsu raised a brow at her answer. Was she irritated? Or was she playing along with him?

'Really. Is it someone I know?'

The blonde smirked. Curious, eh? She thought to herself. Her smirk never left her lips as she typed in her response.

'Probably not. He's from FAU. Name's Loki.'

The pink-haired young man's eyes suddenly popped out of his sockets. Loki? She could not mean Leo? Loki was the nickname his classmates had given him, what with his reputation. He was a known Cassanova, dating both young and old women. He was kind and helpful and all that, but yeah, he had the habit of 'falling in love' with more than two girls at once. A trickster of the heart—that was what he was to the eyes of majority of the male population.

'Interesting. How did you meet with this Loki?'

Lucy tilted her head. How would she respond to that? She did know Loki. He was one of her most persistent suitors—even up until now, when he remembered—and he was also somewhat a friend of hers. Somewhat. Yesterday, he and a couple of his male friends from another school had dropped by, apparently trying to pick up some of the female students from FBU. Lucy happened to be just heading out the main gate when Loki and his group arrived. Upon seeing her, Loki immediately asked Lucy if she could join them for some karaoke. She declined, saying that she had to do something. The young man said it was too bad, but he still managed to give Lucy a quick kiss on the cheek, telling her that if ever she changed her mind, she could run into his arms anytime she wanted. Although that made Lucy shiver, she was glad Loki did not insist on making her go with them.

'He's kinda like an on-off friend of mine. One moment he's a friend, the next he's a suitor. Saw him yesterday. Asked me out, but I refused. But he did give me something.'

'What was it?'

Lucy could not help but chuckle inwardly. Oh, so he was that curious? She thought. Without further ado, she replied with only two words.

'A kiss.'

Lucy waited. And waited. And waited a couple minutes more. Why wasn't he responding? Wait, did she piss him off? Worry flooded her as she stared at her mobile phone. They were only goofing around, right? So why wasn't he answering? What could possibly make him mad about that text? After all, she was just saying the tru—

"So he gave you a kiss? Care to tell where?" Said a low voice behind her. She was so focused on her mobile device that she did not notice Natsu enter her room, nor did she hear the soft click of the door knob as the young man locked it (just in case somebody passed by). Natsu placed his hands on either side of Lucy, trapping her within his arms. He then leaned down, his head just inches away from Lucy's. The startled female dropped her phone on the table, her hands automatically going near her chest as she stammered.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…I mean, I was surprised myself and—" But Natsu cut her off, asking her once more in his low, and seemingly husky voice.

"Again, where did he kiss you?" He murmured, his lips hovering just centimetres away from her ear. He then lifted his right hand, brushing the strands covering Lucy's ear and placing them behind it, allowing him easier access to the said part.

"Ch-cheek. Just on the cheek. Nowhere near my lips." She murmured, as she tried to battle the surfacing desires of her body. Not again..! She groaned. Not another moment that would make her further spiral into insanity! Not that she was against it…but it might cause the young man to distance himself from her even more! She had to control herself. She had to-!

"I see. Did you like it?"

What?! Lucy almost wanted to shout at his question. How would she answer that?! She swallowed hard as she thought of her response.

"I…I didn't." She whimpered. She could feel Natsu's smirk on her ear, his breath warming up her skin. Please…don't tease me anymore, she moaned in her head. But it seemed like the young man was not planning on giving up just yet.

"Oh? Why didn't you like it? After all, it was a kiss, right? From someone you like, probably?" He whispered, his lips now grazing her jawline once more. Lucy's breath caught in her throat. What was he saying?! But all her thoughts and her willpower were slowly flowing out of her, her mind giving up any resistance to the young man's provocation. Slowly, she turned her head toward Natsu, her brown eyes almost hidden by her half-closed lids. She allowed an inch or so of space to separate her mouth from Natsu's, a distance that could be easily crossed with just one little push.

"Yeah, it was a kiss from someone I like. Though that like only covers friendship. So I wonder…" Lucy murmured, her lips now brushing slightly against Natsu's. She could feel him tense up, could see his onyx eyes getting darker. A small smile crossed her lips as she continued to tease the pink-haired young man before her.

"Would someone like you…be able to give me…" She said as she allowed herself to press her lips against Natsu's for a very brief moment. She then broke off, her brown orbs now shining with desire as she continued.

"…a kiss that I'd like..?"

Natsu stared at Lucy, his black orbs focused on the female's parted lips. A kiss that she'd like? He smirked as he moved his head forward.

"Like? I'll give you one…" He said as he pressed his mouth against hers. He watched as Lucy finally let her lids fall, her hands going to his collar.

"…that you won't forget." He growled as he finally gave in to his desire—after weeks of holding back. He gently kissed her upper lip, and then her lower, moving from one to another in a slow fashion. He would gently suck on one lip, let his tongue run over it, before moving to its sister and administering the same motions with his mouth onto it. The moment Lucy moaned into the kiss, Natsu let his tongue dive in, the pink muscle exploring the moist cavern before him. He swirled his tongue, ran it over the front of her teeth, the roof of her mouth, the top of her own tongue. Lucy even allowed her own little tongue to play with his, trying and failing to dominate his more aggressive one.

The blonde moaned as Natsu gently sucked on her lip. Her legs were tightly crossed together, her hands gripping the collar of Natsu's shirt tightly. He was...good. Really good. Her mind was slowly numbing with pleasure as desire pooled in every sensitive part of her body. So when he parted from her for them to breathe, Lucy could not help but keep his face close to hers.

"Unfair..." She murmured, her lips still tantalizingly close to Natsu's. The young man bit his lower lip, silently telling Lucy with his eyes that she continue with what she was saying.

"You kissed me...and next thing I know, you'll place more distance between us. Unfair..." The blonde murmured. Natsu sighed, before he stood up straight. He let his hands fall on Lucy's shoulders, egging her to follow suit. The blonde did just that. Pushing aside the chair that was in between, the young man stepped forward, pushing Lucy against her desk. The female had no choice but to lean—almost sit down, actually—on the wooden top. Natsu then closed the gap between their bodies, his hips right against Lucy's. The blonde hooked her arms around his neck, her brown orbs staring up at him in question.

"Sorry about this. I just can't...stand the idea of another guy kissing you. I'm being selfish, I know." He said as he nuzzled against Lucy's neck.

"It's okay. I...kinda like it, you being selfish over me..." She murmured back, savoring the woodsy scent coming from him. She then moved her hands in order to cup Natsu's face and make him look at her.

"But promise me, you won't get any further away from me after this, okay? I can't...stand it, you not being close to me." She requested. Natsu smiled sheepishly at her.

"Yeah...me, too. It's...kinda difficult not wanting to be with you." He admitted. He kissed her lightly a couple times before he continued.

"I've so wanted to kiss you for a long time now. I was just scared of what you'll think of me. Your previous guar-"

"Was an asshole. You're different. I..." At this Lucy faltered, as the blush that had been covering her face turned into a darker shade of red.

"I like..I think I like you..." Lucy stammered. She heard him chuckle, before he allowed his face to move closer to Lucy's.

"You think? Well...I think I'd have to convince you more, then..." He murmured as he kissed her once more. The blonde smiled into his lips, savoring the sweet taste of his mouth over hers. Finally, after weeks and weeks of holding back, he finally had the courage to kiss her. Was it a dream come true? Probably. But it was far better than a dream.

"...Cause I'm already madly in love with you, Lucy."

Indeed, it was far better...


	11. Dilemmas

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any of its characters. Hiro Mashima does.

A/N: Natsu and Lucy just admitted their love for each other. Somehow. Anyway, here's the next chapter. o.o

* * *

Lucy could not believe it. Did they really just..?

The blonde stared at the lunch box waiting to be unwrapped in her hands. Yesterday, Natsu-her sworn guard-had kissed her. They were caught in their own passionate battle for an hour or so, until Lucy (and the pink-haired young man) was called for dinner. It was evident from the sheepish grin Natsu had shown her that he had enjoyed it while it lasted, and that it was kind of disappointing for it to have ended so soon (so soon for them, that is). But the best part? Natsu did not try to place any more distance between them. He had kept his word, and had promised Lucy that, since they have admitted that they both liked each other more than friends, he would stop resisting and just go with the flow-so long as Lucy permitted it. So-who was she to deny him?

"Lu-chan, you're red. Really, really red." Levy pointed out as the blue-haired young girl leaned close toward her friend. The blonde snapped out of her daze, her chocolate orbs showing her surprise.

"S-sorry! I was thinking of something." She said in her defense. Erza scrutinized her for a whole minute, before her lips cracked into a knowing smile.

"Something? Or do you mean someone? You know it's obvious what-or who-you're thinking about, Lucy." The older female pointed out. At this, Lucy's face brightened even more, her eyes turning into lines as she pleaded for them to stop.

"Mou...stop teasing me already. Anyway," she then transferred her gaze toward Juvia, who also had a dreamy look on her face.

"What is up with her?"

"Oh...that. I mean her." Levy corrected herself as she transferred her gaze to their other friend, who was evidently way up in the clouds again with her Gray-sama.

"The dance that we're having at FAU is just around the corner. I guess she's excited to have a dance with Gray. Again." The blue-haired female answered, a small smile creeping to her lips. Erza nodded knowingly, her eyes closed as she took a sip of her tea.

"Indeed. I believe Levy shall be going with Gajeel this year." Erza said matter-of-fact, to which Levy accidentally spat out her drink at Juvia ("Hey!"). The blue-haired female turned twitching eyes toward their scarlethead friend, her lips twitching as well as she spoke.

"W-who told you that?" Levy asked. Erza just shrugged.

"A little birdie. Anyway, how about you, Lucy? Have you decided who you'd be seeing at the dance? Or are you going to go random?" The blonde tilted her head to the side. If truth be told, she would have wanted Natsu to be the one escorting her there. But the rules of the dance stated that they were either going to pre-choose a partner from FAU, or they choose once they get there. She sighed. Whoever made that stupid rule should burn in eternal damnation.

"I heard Loki has his eyes on you." Levy piped in after a while, glad that the attention was not on her anymore. Lucy shook her head, a chuckle escaping her lips.

"Loki has his eyes on everyone and anyone. I'm not going to go with him."

"How about that Sting, then?"

"Eh...no. I really don't know the guy, and I think he's already going out with someone-or so that is what the rumors say. Anyway, I'll worry about this during the dance. For now, I better hurry up and eat my lunch or else I'm going to spend an afternoon of classes on an empty stomach." Lucy said, trying to change the topic. Fortunately for her, Erza picked up on her tone, and left her to her thoughts.

* * *

Natsu drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, his head tilted back and his eyes closed. He kept on going back to that moment where he and Lucy were kissing each other passionately in her room. He grinned. It was the best moment of his life so far. As long as his secret was safe, Lucy should probably be safe as well. He would face the consequence of telling her the truth later, but now, he would not worry himself about it. No, sir, he would not be worrying about anything for no-

Buzz!

His mobile phone vibrated in his chest pocket, making him crack his eyes wide open. Who would be calling him right now? He fished out the device from its hiding place, and checked the number calling him. It was unregistered. Frowning, he answered it, his face showing the curiosity that had welled up inside him.

"Hello? May I know who's on the other line?"

"...Squinty, you would never have been this polite to me, if you already knew it was me who was calling." Drawled a voice on the other end of the line. It was Gray. Natsu could not help but smirk as he heard his friend throw his usual greeting at him.

"Shut up, Droopy. How'd you get this number?"

"From one of Lucy's maids."

"Huh, thought so. Don't let Juvia find this out. Anyway, why'd you call?"

"I was going to ask you if you were going to attend the masquerade." Gray asked lazily. At this, Natsu frowned.

"I can't, can I? If I go, Lucy would find out who I am."

"..So what are you planning to do with the Strausses?"

Natsu's eyes widened after hearing 'Strausses'. How could he have forgotten! It had escaped his mind that his cousins were going to visit them-after attending the masquerade. And he had forgotten that they would go directly to their home after the ball! If they did that..!

"Gray, I need to find a wig. I can escort Lucy to the ball, but I have to be disguised." He suddenly said, his onyx orbs checking if his ward was anywhere near. It was almost time for them to head home, meaning that any moment now, the blonde would be heading for the car.

"Wig? I know a place where you can buy one. I'll give you the address, wait."

The pink-haired young man scribbled the address of the store Gray had given him on a memo pad beside him. He had to be in disguise. Everybody in the school would recognize his pink hair. And the last thing that he wanted to do was for Lucy to find out who he was. No, it was not yet time.

Not yet.

Damn that masquerade.


End file.
